Elected officials from Merced County feel the heat in fire training
Nearly a dozen elected officials from around Merced County stood in a building over the weekend as firefighters set it ablaze.
About 30 firefighter recruits from Merced College and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Merced County, also participated Sunday at the training on Lacava Road and Highway 59 in Merced, according to Cal Fire Division Chief Mark Lawson.
Merced City Councilman Kevin Blake called it “an eye-opening experience.”
“I think this is something that every elected official should experience. It is important to see firsthand what it is like on the front lines for our first responders,” Blake said.
The elected officials who participated were: Blake, Stan Thurston, Mike Murphy, Josh Pedrozo and Michael Belluomini from Merced; Jim Price and Brian Raymond from Atwater; and Merced County Supervisor Daron McDaniel, officials said.
Firefighter recruits also stood inside the building as it started to burn. The training allowed those inside to witness how fire behaves as a structure begins to burn and to watch fires from beginning to end, Lawson said.
“It’s a controlled event, and we obviously had a plan for getting everybody safely out before it spread too much,” Lawson said.
Merced College professor Bryan Donnelly said the training allows recruits to experience “live fire” and to practice suppression skills learned in the classroom.
“They get to see how we put water down on the fire, practice ventilation and it’s a good opportunity to see how the whole operation works,” Donnelly said.
Blake said the training was a reminder of the importance of well-trained, well-equipped firefighters.
“The intensity of the heat and the physical stress that results is intense, and this was a controlled environment,” Blake said. “I can only imagine what it’s like responding to an uncontrolled structure fire.”
Sun-Star staff writer Rob Parsons can be reached at (209) 385-2482 or rparsons@mercedsunstar.com.
This story was originally published April 20, 2015 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Elected officials from Merced County feel the heat in fire training."